Despite a generally disappointing 2025 campaign, Aston Martin are aiming high for the 2026 regulations. Since the beginning of the season, Aston have been dedicating all of their development resources to ensure they are front-runners next year.
New infrastructure, the acquisition of top personnel (Cowell, Newey, Cardile) and the Honda engine give Aston Martin plenty of firepower.
Focusing specifically on Honda, the Japanese manufacturer have spent several years working on the 2026 power unit. After securing numerous world titles with Red Bull, Honda are striving to become winners once again with the Silverstone team.
Whilst nothing is certain for next year, there are increasingly positive signs around Aston Martin and Honda’s collaboration.
Fernando Alonso leads Charles Leclerc in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Aston Martin reveal promising Honda progress
After a disastrous return to Formula 1 with McLaren (which was largely because they were rushed into debuting their engine prematurely) Honda have demonstrated their calibre with Red Bull.
The Austrian outfit enjoyed immense success thanks to the Japanese power unit, which has become the standard in terms of both reliability and performance. Of course, making a smooth transition with a new team and fresh set of regulations is a new and very different challenge.
Thankfully for Aston Martin, there are several variables that give them an advantage heading into 2026.
Arguably the most relevant is that their senior personnel are better placed than anyone else to work with Honda. Andy Cowell, their team principal, spent a decade overseeing Mercedes engines during their dominance over F1. The German team’s supremacy throughout the hybrid era was largely thanks to their massive power unit advantage.
Indeed, Cowell has already visited Honda’s engine assembly in Japan. He is satisfied with their progress, and – from his time at Mercedes – can be confident in judging the quality of work currently underway.
Meanwhile, Adrian Newey spent many years making Championship-winning cars with Honda. As the visionary behind Aston Martin’s 2026 package, his experience with the personnel at the factory in Sakura, Japan, is integral.
Andy Cowell has touched on these points, per motorsport-total.
“The Honda engineers are very creative, and there’s some really good joint simulation work being done to figure out what works best…
“We’ve been testing prototype gearboxes at Silverstone and Sakura for many months now. The collaboration between the engineers at both locations is very pleasing.
“The IT infrastructure also ensures that the data flows smoothly back and forth, so the engineers at Silverstone can see in real time what’s happening on the test bench at Sakura.
“I don’t think any of us can currently compare ourselves to our competitors. What I do see, however, is a technology-driven company that is intensely focused on performance, efficiency improvements, weight reduction, and a demanding reliability target.
“Their methods, ambition, and timeline are truly impressive.”
Lance Stroll in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
Going under the radar
Over recent months, speculation has began to intensify about what next season’s pecking order will look like. Owing to the change in regulations, predicting the progress teams make for 2026 is very tricky. After all, almost everything about the aerodynamics of the ’26 cars will be different.
However, this does not mean we are without any information about how development are evolving.
On the engine front, Mercedes are understood to be the front-runner. The German manufacturer is expected, both by drivers and analysts, to produce the best power unit for the new regulatory cycle – at least initially.
Critically, there is reason to believe Honda could be their closest challengers. Various whispers are already emerging about Ferrari facing problems with their new power unit. Such reports are absent regarding Honda, who are understood to be making solid progress.
Indeed, the Japanese manufacturer is exactly where they want to be – under the radar. Aston Martin are benefiting from the luxury of being able to control all aspects of their development. This includes their engine and gearbox, which could be decisive in 2026.
As it stands, Honda are better placed than anyone else to keep Mercedes honest with their power units.
Other new manufacturers, like Red Bull Powertrains or Audi, are on track to hit their targets for ’26. However, they lack the experience and personnel (although both engine departments are aggressively expanding) to realistically set the standard next year.
Honda, meanwhile, are pushing to hit audacious objectives which Adrian Newey has deemed sufficient to represent a threat next year. Of course, only time will tell if this materialises.
What is clear, though, is that Aston have assembled an extremely competent team of engineers to reinforce their development efforts. Alongside Williams, they are the midfield team most likely to make a splash when the lights to out in Australia.
Main photo: Photo by Pauline Ballet/LAT Images (Aston Martin Media Gallery)